Jérôme Pradon
Encyclopedia
Jérôme Pradon is an actor and singer who has performed in the West End
, Paris
and various other places around the world. He was born in Boulogne-Billancourt
, Hauts-de-Seine
, France
on 3 June 1964.
's Les Misérables
as Marius at the Theatre Mogador, Paris. It was this show that started his love for musical theatre, which led onto his first West End appearance; playing the role of Chris in Miss Saigon
(1992–93). Next, was another debut, this time Toronto
, Canada
, where he originated the title role of Napoleon
(1994).
In 1995, travelling back and forth between France and England
, Jérôme performed in several productions including La Java des Mémoires, directed by the much loved director Roger Louret and Assassins
by Stephen Sondheim
. Later that year he was part of the ‘dream cast’ in the 10th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables.
Remaining in London, Jérôme created the role of Guillaume in the Olivier Award winning production Martin Guerre
, which made him the first actor to have performed major roles in all three Boublil and Schonberg musicals. After Martin Guerre came Maury Yeston
's Nine
at the Folies Bergère, where Jérôme played Guido Contini, the sole male role.
In 1998, Jérôme gave a ravishing performance in Killing Rasputin, and in 2000 performed in Black Goes with Everything (a show celebrating the talent of Don Black) and Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s Whistle Down the Wind
where he played the role of The Man alongside Laura Michelle Kelly
as Swallow. In 2000, he also appeared in the role of Judas
in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar
, opposite Glenn Carter as Jesus
. This production is available on DVD.
Jérôme attended the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
with his one man show Crime of Passion - a British Premiere. This was followed by another one man show, in Paris, - Road Movie. Not only did Jérôme perform all five roles in the play, he translated the text into French. He later reprised this show in 2002. Also that year, he was a principal performer in Délit D’Ivresse, the last piece by the legendary Roland Petit
; took part in the spectacular gala charity concert A Night Of 1000 Voices; played Javert
in Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre
, London, and performed at the Opening Gala for the first ever International Festival of Musical Theatre in Cardiff
.
2003 saw the creation of the multi award winning Pacific Overtures
, for which Jérôme was nominated for an Olivier Award for his portrayal of the murderous Shogun's mother and the hilarious French Admiral. This was followed by Et Si On Chantait?, produced by Pierre Cardin
, and the award winning Chance!
2004 saw Jérôme perform in One Day More! a symphonic concert celebrating Boublil and Schönberg
's works; perform for the Queen and President Jacques Chirac
at Windsor Castle
in a Les Misérables concert, as part of the marking of the 100th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale
, and played King Herod in the Scandinavian tour of Jesus Christ Superstar
.
In 2005, Jérôme made his Liège
debut in Maury Yeston’s Titanic
. In 2006, he performed at the Les Musicals Festival in Béziers
and was also nominated as Best Actor for the year of 2005.
Later that year, Jérôme starred as several different characters in the Molière Award
winning Le Cabaret Des Hommes Perdus. This multi-award winning musical was such a hit that it extended its run into 2007.
From Paris to London, Jérôme took on the role of Aragorn
in the European premiere of The Lord of the Rings.
Jérôme's next project was L'Opera De Sarah, which was performed in Paris in 2009. He is currently appearing in the French production of Mamma Mia!
in which he plays the part of Sam.
took Jérôme to Ukraine
for filming and onto British screens. Kung Fu: The Legend Continues was filmed during his time in Napoleon. The Brylcreem Boys (for which he was asked to emphasize the French accent more) was released in limited UK cinemas in 1999. Also that year, Simon Sez
, seeing Jérôme play the villain of the movie, was released in the US
.
French productions include Belle Grand-Mere,La Jeune Fille et La Tortue directed by Stéphane Ly-Cuong; the award winning Crimes En Serie, Avocats et Associés and film festival winner Paradisco, also directed by Stéphane Ly-Cuong.
English speaking productions include RTS Award nominated Aristocrats; Oscar nominated Vatel directed by Roland Joffé; The Dancer playing The Director; the International Emmy award winning 2000 version of Jesus Christ Superstar
, playing Judas
for which his performance received rave reviews and a new collection of fans; Peter Ackroyd
's London and Carrie and Barry
starring Neil Morrisey.
In 2004, he organised the casting for and performed the part of André in the French
dubbing of the 2004 The Phantom of the Opera
movie.
2006 saw the sitcom The Complete Guide to Parenting
, starring Peter Davison
, that was broadcast on ITV
, with Jérôme playing the part of Roland, and 2007 saw Jérôme starring in Trafalgar, directed by Fabrice Hourlier.
Jérôme is also a songwriter
. He has written songs for Jean Guidoni's Tigre de Porcelaine album as well as for himself (he released the single "Tendrement", 1987). He is working on a pop, rock and electro album.
Le Cabaret Des Hommes Perdus (2006)
Singles
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and various other places around the world. He was born in Boulogne-Billancourt
Boulogne-Billancourt
Boulogne-Billancourt is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Boulogne-Billancourt is a sub-prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department and the seat of the Arrondissement of Boulogne-Billancourt....
, Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine is designated number 92 of the 101 départements in France. It is part of the Île-de-France region, and covers the western inner suburbs of Paris...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 3 June 1964.
Theatre
In 1991, Jérôme made his musical debut in Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel SchönbergClaude-Michel Schönberg
Claude-Michel Schönberg is a French record producer, actor, singer, songwriter, and musical theatre composer, best known for his collaborations with the lyricist Alain Boublil.These include the musicals:...
's Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
as Marius at the Theatre Mogador, Paris. It was this show that started his love for musical theatre, which led onto his first West End appearance; playing the role of Chris in Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
(1992–93). Next, was another debut, this time Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where he originated the title role of Napoleon
Napoleon (musical)
Napoleon, The Musical is a musical by Canadians Andrew Sabiston and Timothy Williams . It premiered at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto on 23 March 1994 with Jérôme Pradon in the title role and Aline Mowat as leading lady Josephine. Directed by John Wood and orchestrated by David Cullen, it was the...
(1994).
In 1995, travelling back and forth between France and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Jérôme performed in several productions including La Java des Mémoires, directed by the much loved director Roger Louret and Assassins
Assassins (musical)
Assassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. It uses the premise of a murderous carnival game to produce a revue-style portrayal of men and women who attempted to assassinate Presidents of the United States...
by Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
. Later that year he was part of the ‘dream cast’ in the 10th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables.
Remaining in London, Jérôme created the role of Guillaume in the Olivier Award winning production Martin Guerre
Martin Guerre (musical)
Martin Guerre is a two-act musical with a book by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, lyrics by Alain Boublil and Stephen Clark, and music by Claude-Michel Schönberg....
, which made him the first actor to have performed major roles in all three Boublil and Schonberg musicals. After Martin Guerre came Maury Yeston
Maury Yeston
Maury Yeston is an American composer, lyricist, educator and musicologist.He is known for writing the music and lyrics to Broadway musicals, including Nine in 1982, and Titanic in 1997, both of which won Tony Awards for best musical and best score. He also won a Drama Desk Award for Nine...
's Nine
Nine (musical)
Nine is a musical with a book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. The story is based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
at the Folies Bergère, where Jérôme played Guido Contini, the sole male role.
In 1998, Jérôme gave a ravishing performance in Killing Rasputin, and in 2000 performed in Black Goes with Everything (a show celebrating the talent of Don Black) and Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s Whistle Down the Wind
Whistle Down the Wind (musical)
Whistle Down the Wind is a musical based on the 1961 film Whistle Down the Wind with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Jim Steinman, known for his work with Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler.-Stage Premiere:...
where he played the role of The Man alongside Laura Michelle Kelly
Laura Michelle Kelly
Laura Michelle Kelly is an English actress and singer who achieved critical acclaim in the role of Mary Poppins in the musical of the same name.-Musical theatre:...
as Swallow. In 2000, he also appeared in the role of Judas
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
, opposite Glenn Carter as Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. This production is available on DVD.
Jérôme attended the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe was the 54th Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Fringe ran from 5–27 August 2001 and presented 1462 shows over 176 venues.-Scotsman Fringe First Awards:Week One:*Gagarin Way*Runt*Like Thunder*Bedbound...
with his one man show Crime of Passion - a British Premiere. This was followed by another one man show, in Paris, - Road Movie. Not only did Jérôme perform all five roles in the play, he translated the text into French. He later reprised this show in 2002. Also that year, he was a principal performer in Délit D’Ivresse, the last piece by the legendary Roland Petit
Roland Petit
Roland Petit was a French choreographer and dancer born in Villemomble, near Paris, France. He trained at the Paris Opéra Ballet school, and became well known for his creative ballets.-Biography:...
; took part in the spectacular gala charity concert A Night Of 1000 Voices; played Javert
Javert
Javert is a fictional character from the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. He is a prison guard, and later policeman, who devotes his life to the law. He is always referred to just simply as "Javert" or "Inspector Javert" by the narrator and other characters throughout the novel; his first name...
in Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre, London
The Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...
, London, and performed at the Opening Gala for the first ever International Festival of Musical Theatre in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
.
2003 saw the creation of the multi award winning Pacific Overtures
Pacific Overtures
Pacific Overtures is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a libretto by John Weidman, and additional material by Hugh Wheeler. The musical is set in 1853 Japan and follows the difficult Westernization of Japan, through the lives of two friends caught in the change...
, for which Jérôme was nominated for an Olivier Award for his portrayal of the murderous Shogun's mother and the hilarious French Admiral. This was followed by Et Si On Chantait?, produced by Pierre Cardin
Pierre Cardin
Pierre Cardin Cardin was known for his avant-garde style and his Space Age designs. He prefers geometric shapes and motifs, often ignoring the female form. He advanced into unisex fashions, sometimes experimental, and not always practical...
, and the award winning Chance!
2004 saw Jérôme perform in One Day More! a symphonic concert celebrating Boublil and Schönberg
Schönberg
- Germany :*Schönberg, Lower Bavaria, a town in the district of Freyung-Grafenau in Bavaria*Schönberg, Upper Bavaria, a town in the district of Mühldorf in Bavaria*Schönberg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, district Nordwestmecklenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
's works; perform for the Queen and President Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
at Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
in a Les Misérables concert, as part of the marking of the 100th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale
Entente Cordiale
The Entente Cordiale was a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom and the French Republic. Beyond the immediate concerns of colonial expansion addressed by the agreement, the signing of the Entente Cordiale marked the end of almost a millennium of intermittent...
, and played King Herod in the Scandinavian tour of Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
.
In 2005, Jérôme made his Liège
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
debut in Maury Yeston’s Titanic
Titanic (musical)
Titanic is a musical with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone that opened on Broadway in 1997. It won five Tony Awards including the award for Best Musical...
. In 2006, he performed at the Les Musicals Festival in Béziers
Béziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
and was also nominated as Best Actor for the year of 2005.
Later that year, Jérôme starred as several different characters in the Molière Award
Molière Award
The Molière Award is the national theatre award of France decided by the Association professionnelle et artistique du théâtre and given out every April or May since 1987, during a ceremony called La Nuit des Molières . The award was created by Georges Cravenne, who was also the creator of the...
winning Le Cabaret Des Hommes Perdus. This multi-award winning musical was such a hit that it extended its run into 2007.
From Paris to London, Jérôme took on the role of Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
in the European premiere of The Lord of the Rings.
Jérôme's next project was L'Opera De Sarah, which was performed in Paris in 2009. He is currently appearing in the French production of Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Although the title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia", the plot is fictional, not...
in which he plays the part of Sam.
TV and film
TV and film appearances include his first paid acting job Marcheloup, L'été ‘36, Cas De Divorce and Hélas Pour Moi directed by Jean Luc Goddard. Sharpe’s CompanySharpe's Company (TV programme)
Sharpe's Company is a British television drama, part of a series that follows the career of Richard Sharpe, a British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. This episode is based on the novel of the same name by Bernard Cornwell.-Plot:...
took Jérôme to Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
for filming and onto British screens. Kung Fu: The Legend Continues was filmed during his time in Napoleon. The Brylcreem Boys (for which he was asked to emphasize the French accent more) was released in limited UK cinemas in 1999. Also that year, Simon Sez
Simon Sez
Simon Sez is a 1999 action comedy film starring Dennis Rodman, Dane Cook, and John Pinette. The score for this film was composed by Brian Tyler.-Plot:Interpol agent Simon goes on a mission in France to save a kidnapped girl and defeat an arms dealer....
, seeing Jérôme play the villain of the movie, was released in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
French productions include Belle Grand-Mere,La Jeune Fille et La Tortue directed by Stéphane Ly-Cuong; the award winning Crimes En Serie, Avocats et Associés and film festival winner Paradisco, also directed by Stéphane Ly-Cuong.
English speaking productions include RTS Award nominated Aristocrats; Oscar nominated Vatel directed by Roland Joffé; The Dancer playing The Director; the International Emmy award winning 2000 version of Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
, playing Judas
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
for which his performance received rave reviews and a new collection of fans; Peter Ackroyd
Peter Ackroyd
Peter Ackroyd CBE is an English biographer, novelist and critic with a particular interest in the history and culture of London. For his novels about English history and culture and his biographies of, among others, Charles Dickens, T. S. Eliot and Sir Thomas More he won the Somerset Maugham Award...
's London and Carrie and Barry
Carrie and Barry
Carrie and Barry is a sitcom, shown 2004 - 2005 on BBC One, starring Neil Morrissey, Claire Rushbrook, Mark Williams and Michelle Gomez.Produced by Hartswood Films, it reunited Morrissey with personnel from Men Behaving Badly: specifically writer Simon Nye, executive producer Beryl Vertue and...
starring Neil Morrisey.
In 2004, he organised the casting for and performed the part of André in the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
dubbing of the 2004 The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (2004 film)
The Phantom of the Opera is a 2004 film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical of the same name, which in turn was based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux....
movie.
2006 saw the sitcom The Complete Guide to Parenting
The Complete Guide to Parenting
The Complete Guide to Parenting is an ITV comedy drama, starring Peter Davison as George Huntley, Professor of Child Psychology at London University, best-selling author of Hey Mum & Dad, Get Your Act Together and LBC resident parenting guru. He finds his so-called parenting expertise put to the...
, starring Peter Davison
Peter Davison
Peter Davison is a British actor, best known for his roles as Tristan Farnon in the television version of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small and the fifth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, which he played from 1982 to 1984.-Early life:Davison was born Peter Moffett in Streatham,...
, that was broadcast on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, with Jérôme playing the part of Roland, and 2007 saw Jérôme starring in Trafalgar, directed by Fabrice Hourlier.
Radio
Radio credits include National Music Day, numerous appearances on Friday Night Is Music Night and Somewhere In The Desert.Jérôme is also a songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. He has written songs for Jean Guidoni's Tigre de Porcelaine album as well as for himself (he released the single "Tendrement", 1987). He is working on a pop, rock and electro album.
Discography
The Lord of the Rings (2007)Le Cabaret Des Hommes Perdus (2006)
- Les Bienheureux De La Marge Brute (2005)
- Chance! (2004)
- Crime of Passion (2001)
- Jesus Christ Superstar (2000)
- Killing Rasputin (1999)
- Martin Guerre (1996)
- Les Misérables - 10th Anniversary Concert (1995)
- Napoleon (1994)
- Les Misérables (1991)
Singles
- Tendrement (1987)